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Iowa woman wrongly charged of arson to receive $100K settlement

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October 23rd, 2019 by Ric Hanson

SEATTLE (AP) — A Washington state fire authority has agreed to pay an Iowa woman $100,000 after she was wrongly investigated and charged with first-degree felony arson. The Seattle Times reports that the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority has settled the civil-rights lawsuit with 66-year-old Linda Poplawski of Des Moines. Authorities say the arson charges resulted from a 2016 fire in a Kent strip mall that leveled a Dollar Tree store and damaged two other businesses.

The lawsuit claims 30-year-old city fire investigator Capt. Eric Pedersen willfully withheld evidence linking the fire to a known gang member after a witness called to report the convicted arsonist. Her attorney says she spent months in custody. Poplawski has no criminal history.